Unboxing, First Impressions, Review: ASUS ZenFone 5Q ZC600KL

Hi dearies! ASUS Philippines successfully launched a series of genius smartphones that captivated the hearts of mobile photography fans. The brand's DNA to champion goes up a notch with its must-experience Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and features in its 5th and latest generation of ZenFones.

If you've seen my Instagram post, I revealed all the ZenFones that I currently have. From ZenFone 2 Laser 5.2, ZenFone 2 Laser 5.5, ZenFone 3, ZenFone Live, and up to the latest ZenFone 5Q which I'll be unboxing and reviewing below :) I'm a certified ASUS user and to have given another chance to review the latest unit is an honor. During the epic launch of the ASUS ZenFone 5 series, we all went #Backto5- the comeback and going back to what they are loved for, bang for the buck smart phone and photography. So without further ado, here's the unboxing, first impressions and review of ASUS ZenFone 5Q.

Unboxing, First Impressions, Review: ASUS ZenFone 5Q ZC600KL

All of my ASUS ZenFones are in the 5-inch display category. I must admit that I'm used to that size because I have tiny hands that's why I find it a bit strange to hold a 6-inch smartphone at the display area during the launch at One Esplanade.

The phone is housed in a simple white box with a color changing ASUS logo of the infamous Korean finger heart design. This box has the same orientation as the ASUS ZenFone Live but 5Q has a more sophisticated touch. There's a small color indicator at the lower right back portion of the box.

I see a doppelganger of my ASUS ZenFone 3 but a bit bigger in size when I opened the box. The front and rear have 2.5D-contoured glass panels and 1.79mm slim bezel. The only difference is the metallic edge but the feel is still the same- light, thin, and smooth. Still with an elegant curved design that gives a natural ergonomic feel. The color that I have is midnight black, not the ordinary black if you may ask. It's the one that exudes class and elegance as it shines and reflects light giving the unit a premium feel.

Unboxing, First Impressions, Review: ASUS ZenFone 5Q ZC600KL
The back of ASUS ZenFone 5Q is covered with a contoured corning gorilla glass

FrontJust by looking at the front side of the phone, you can see the elegance and premium feel that a Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass gives the unit. If you don't have clumsy hands and your phone is always in good hands (methinks I've mastered with the ZenFone), you don't need a tempered glass to protect it.

Facing in front at the left side is the Ultra-wide shot second camera- 8MP with 120° wide-angle that gives a 200% wider view. On the right side is the main camera- 20MP Sony IMX376 image sensor with the soft light LED Flash and call speaker at the center. The LED light notification sits at the rightmost side of the unit. On the other hand, I noticed a different capacitive button. You cannot see one when looking at the photo above which gives the unit a cleaner look. It will just pop up when you are already using the phone.

Here's the back of ASUS ZenFone 5Q- the 16MP rear camera is located at the center together with the 8MP with 120° wide-angle and not as protruding like the older models. The unit now lies flat on a table. The fingerprint sensor is situated below the cameras.

You can see the logo of ASUS at the bottom. The dual LED real tone flash is on the left side of the cameras. Again, the back is covered with 2.5D Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass. There are times that I find the glass attractive but not when fingerprints and dust starts to stick on the surface.

The keys for the power and volume can be seen at the right side of the phone. The same place like that of my Asus ZenFone 3 and still it doesn't have a removable battery though.

Unboxing, First Impressions, Review: ASUS ZenFone 5Q ZC600KL
The right side of ASUS ZenFone 5Q

The sim card tray is located on the left side of the phone and has three slots- slot 1 and 2 are for nano sim cards while slot 3 supports up to 2TB microSD card which is whoa for me!!! First time to use a smartphone that has an expandable memory up to TB in size.

Unboxing, First Impressions, Review: ASUS ZenFone 5Q ZC600KL
The left sideof ASUS ZenFone 5Q where you can eject the sim card tray

Until not, I only use a single sim. I have not tried inserting a memory card as of the moment as I feel that the phone's memory capacity is good for my photo usage. I find the phone so good. Maybe it's because I'm easily attracted to the full HD display. My viewing experience is great as I see clearer and crisper images and photos while browsing and looking at the photos. It has a great battery capacity for me- 3,300 mAh to be exact.

Phone FeaturesFor this review, I'll be sharing all the features that I find useful and no further explanation of technicalities here because I want to share my experiences after using the phone for two weeks. I'm not scared like the first time I've held a smartphone sandwiched in two corning gorilla glass. It feels hefty though because of the size but I find it easy to use and navigate.

1. The ZEN UI

The feature of ASUS ZenFone that I will always love. I'm an OC type of person and having a pre-installed theme is a must for me. I'm happy changing layout and themes from time to time. I'm glad that ASUS minimized the pre-installed apps that's why there is a little to none lag like usual Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Google Apps, and Zen IU defaults to name a few. To make the phone less laggy, there's an OptiFlex which you can tap to increase the speed.

I have a thing for wallpapers and the pre-installed lock screen photos in Asus ZenFone 5Q gives happiness every time I will unlock the phone. My apologies if you find this a no biggie, but for me it's positivity.

3. The Battery Life I'm online almost every day with heavy social media browsing that's why I'm impressed that I still have around 50% battery left from full charge up to the next day. I also like that it has battery modes to enhance the phone's performance.

I've been a user of a smartphone with a fingerprint sensor for years now and it's only a few months back that I realized the importance of it. Aside from the numerical and pattern password, this model has a face register which "wowed" me. Hahaha! Security to the nth level which is really good especially if you're doing an online banking transaction.

4. The Selfie Master App The app that has everything beautify in one. It has a beauty live app which lets you livestream beautifully. A beauty plus like app to select a beautification for taking photos to achieve a pore-less look!

No need to put on your makeup if you want to capture and enhanced woke up like this photo. You can choose from beauty levels 0-10 and there are pre-installed filters which you can use right on the app itself. I think beauty level 0 is nice already but to enhance undereye bags and other blemishes, beauty level 2 works for me though. I find the beauty level 5 unrealistic because it blurs out my eyebrows.

I already raved all the cameras of my ZenFone units in the past. Yes, I'm that easy to impress with clear shot photos. For this model, I like that it has a quad camera and can capture wide-angle when taking landscapes, wefies, and product shots. I also love the fact that there is already a default Instagram size 1:1 which is a plus for me since I'm always posting photos on my Instagram account. I don't need to adjust or crop the photo. Yay!!!

The camera has different features like Beauty, PRO, Super Resolution, GIF, Time Lapse, and Panorama. Since I'm only after the vibrant color and sharp details, I only used the camera as what the lighting condition gives. Tried it once using the HDR and Bokeh effect and I find it very nice.

Using the front camera in low light conditions is okay provided that I have to go under fluorescent light in order to achieve a clearer shot. I have makeup here and used the beautification on the second photo.

The packaging is in a simple white box with color changing ASUS logo in a Korean finger heart design.

The price is affordable for a mid-range smartphone dedicated to those who love mobile photography.

The design- it's sleek and has the premium feel even if it's a bit larger than my 5.2 inches phone.

There are 4 cameras (front and rear) which I think gives what you ask. If you use it in daylight, it will give clear, bright, crisp, and very nice photos. It gives a decent wide-angle shot too in good lighting condition.

I think this is the level-up version of my old smartphone camera which I like. Even though the camera features are limited, the Bokeh effect and the super-resolution will help me take nice blog photos.

It's very responsive. Loading is fast and I have no problems multi-tasking and uploading photos.

I'm sold because of the 3300mAh battery capacity. I'm active in social media and a heavy internet user so I was surprised to see that it lasted until the next day with WiFi on.

The ZenUI is perfect for the OC type like me. I like that ASUS also minimized the pre-installed apps and just packed the phone with apps which I use frequently like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Chrome. The themes and lock screen wallpapers are also some of my favorites. I tend to change themes from time to time and organizing my UI makes me so happy.

What I don't like:

Not yet in the latest 8.0 version which is Oreo.

The face recognition is having a hard time in detecting my face in low light conditions.

UPDATE!!!

ZenFone 5Q will be updated to Android 8 this month or by June- YASSS!!!

The Face Unlock will also be updated for better unlocking experience.

Will I repurchase/recommend? Yes! I will highly recommend this to my friends who are photo-addicts who have a budget to buy an upgraded version of ZenFone 3 and 4.

Recommendation:

I give this a 4.75/5 rating. ASUS ZenFone 5Q is the smartphone selfie, wefie, groupie lovers out there. If you love taking photos from morning till night, this phone is for you. It's easy to use, the wide-angle camera lets everyone fit inside the photo! No more selfie stick needed if you want to capture the beautiful background. It has a decent battery life too for all your browsing and social media updating needs.

I think for the price this is affordable because you really get what you paid for. Beautifully designed smartphone with a decent front and rear camera plus huge battery capacity. ASUS ZenFone 5Q is perfect for photo savvies, out of town trips, and everything photo. Now, I can finally say that at ASUS, #WeLovePhoto!

DISCLAIMER:ASUS ZenFone 5Q was given to me by ASUS Philippines in exchange of a review. The thoughts expressed are my honest opinion about the product and real user experience. We may have different standards in describing our experience/s. Kindly leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

This review is very helful for those who wants to upgrade their smartphones or for those who wants a good review about Asus Zenfone 5Q. This phone very affordable for its features and specifications. I never had any Asus phone yet but will consider to buy this Asus Zenfone 5Q soon.

The Beauty Blogger

kathrivera.com is a Filipina Lifestyle, Beauty, and Mommy Blog from the Philippines sharing reviews on beauty products, makeup and skin care. A 30 something stay-at-home-mom who puts on her make-up while keeping her son’s toys organized at the same time. For product reviews, event invitations, collaborations, sponsorship, features, queries and suggestions kindly send me an email at kathroriver@gmail.com